THE GRAZING ANIMAL AND SWARD PRODUCTIVITY

A trial designed to show the effects of animal excreta on sward productivity is described. It was estimated that the grazing sheep returns in a season nutrients capable of immediate uptake by the plant equivalent to 5–6 cwt. nitro‐chalk and 2–21/2 cwt. 60% muriate of potash per acre. A large part of sward yield depended on animal return. Clover depression from the effects of animal excreta and, under mowing treatment, from the effects of fertilizer nitrogen, did not result in marked loss of transferred clover nitrogen. There appeared to be a gain in clover soil‐nitrogen from a reduction of the clover stand. A comparison is made between the restilts obtained from sheep excreta on the sward with those obtained from mowing treatment. The interaction between animal or fertilizer nitrogen and the clover plant is discussed.